Propeller.



PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

A. HECTOR PROPBLLER.

- APPLICATION: FILED 13120.27. 1905'.

ATTORNEYS:-

5a.. WASHINGTON. b c.

ANDRE HECTOR, OF EAST NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed December 27,1905. Serial No- 293,436.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDRE HECTOR, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city of East Newark, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propellers, of which the following is a specification.

Propeller-wheels for vessels are ordinarily mounted on horizontal shafts and have their blades normally at an angle to the axis of the shaft. I have discovered that by using a vertical shaft for the pro peller-wheel and. having the blades of such wheel lying in the plane of the axis and using a shield or paddlebox it is possible not only to propel a vessel as efiectively as at the present time, but also it is possible to dispense with the use of the ordinary steering apparatus.

In carrying out my invention I make use of the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vessel with my improved propeller in position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view showing the paddle-box or shield shifted, so as to drive the vessel in a different direction. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the paddlebox.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout.

A is the stern or after part of a vessel.

B is the driving-shaft, to the outboard free end of which the propeller C is secured in any desired manner.

Mounted upon the shaft B or upon the bearing D for said shaft is the shield or paddle-box E. This paddle-box, as illustrated, is semicircular in form and open upon its dia metrical side, the other portions being completely closed, as shown. By this construction it will be noted that one-half of the propeller-wheel 0 always lies within the paddlebox, the exposed portion forming the effective or working part of the wheel. If the vessel were intended to move only in a for ward direction, the box C might be rigidly secured in its position against rotation; but I find by making said box rotatable about the propeller-shaft that I am able to dispense with the use of the rudder and may use this box and the propeller as the sole steering means for the vessel. Not only is this an advantage, but it permits of the continuous operation of the wheel in the same direction,

thereby avoiding any reverse movement of the wheel or of the driving-engine.

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shield C about the axis of the propeller-shaft. Asprocket-wheel and chain can be used or cable connections secured to necessary pulleys or sheaves would answer the purpose fully as well. In order, however, to show an operative construction, I have illustrated means for rotating the shield C about the axis of the propeller-shaft, such means consisting of the eyebolts F, fixed to the hub B,from whichlead the rods or cables H, to a corresponding hub I upon the operating-shaft K.

In order to make use of the shaft K as a means for indicating the direction of the movement of the vessel, I prefer to cross the cables or rods H, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. By placing a pointer and operating-handle L at the upper end of the shaft K it will be noted that any movement of such handle will cause a reverse movement of the shield C, as indicated in Fig. 3. the shield will swing the stern of the vessel in the direction indicated by the straight arrow, it being assumed at all times that the propeller-wheel is revolving in the direction of the curved arrow; but the swinging of the stern of the vessel in the direction indicated by the arrow will cause the bow of the vessel, and consequently the general motion thereof, to take the direction indicated by the pointer L. It will also be noted that by swinging the shield C through one-half a circle, so as to expose the opposite blade of the propeller, the motion of the vessel may be reversed, inasmuch as the blades then uncovered would be moving in the direction to produce such reverse movement.

In order to relieve the wheel C of the necessity of moving such large bodies of water through the shield C as would follow from the use of the open side, as indicated in Fig. 1, I may close up that open side to such extent as to leave only a passage-way for the blades. Such a shield is indicated in Fig. 4. Or in some cases I may make such shields to conform to the pathway of the blades of the wheel, so that in cross-section the shield would take the form indicated in the opening shown in Fig. 4.

It will thus be seen that I am enabled by the construction illustrated not only to provide a continuously-running propeller Wheel,

This position of but also to make such propeller with its acor shield rotatably secured to said shaft,

and inclosing a portion of said wheel, a second vertical shaft projecting beneath the hull and means connecting said shaft with said shield for rotating said shield in unison with said shaft and a handle secured to the upper end of said shaft, said handle being provided with an elongated index-pointer' for indicating the position of said shield and the consequent direction of motion of the vessel.

g 2. In a combined propelling and steeringapparatus for vessels, the combination of a propeller wheel having the plane of its blades lying parallel to the axis of said wheel, a semicircular box or shield inclosing one-half of said Wheel-shiftin mechanism for rotating said box or shield a out the axis ofsaid wheel, a vertical shaft projecting beneath the hull of the vessel and connected to said box or shield by means of a pair of crossed connecting-rods, a handle at the upper end of said shaft for rotating the same and an index-pointer secured to said handle for indicating the direction of motion of said vessel.

This specification signed and witnessed this 16th day of December, 1905.

' ANDRE HECTOR. Witnesses:

FREDK. O. FIsoHER, O. A. ALLIsToN. 

